June 28, 2021 | Truck Accident
The last thing you expect when you are on the roadway is that you will end up operating around an unsafe commercial truck. These vehicles are incredibly heavy and much larger than a traditional vehicle. It can be nerve-wracking driving around a semi-truck or another large commercial vehicle. However, what happens if you witness negligent behavior from a truck driver or trucking company? Should you report what you saw, and if so, who do you report the incident to?
Here, our Martinsburg truck accident lawyers want to discuss the steps you can take if you see negligent behavior on the part of a truck driver or truck company on the roadways of West Virginia.
There are various steps that individuals can take if they need to file a complaint against a trucking company, and these steps often depend on the urgency of the situation at hand.
If you are witnessing an emergency on the roadway involving a large commercial truck safety violation, you need to contact the police right away. Dial 911 and let the dispatcher know exactly what is happening. Do not try to follow a truck if it is unsafe to do so.
Try to give the dispatcher as much information as possible, including a description of the truck, the truck’s license plate number, the location and direction the driver is going, and the reason for your concerns. If an accident has been caused by an unsafe truck, make sure the dispatcher knows that fire and EMS personnel need to come to the scene as well.
If you discover that a truck company or truck driver is engaging in negligent actions, but the situation is not an emergency, you can file a complaint with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the regulatory agency tasked with overseeing large commercial trucks in the US.
Some of the main complaints that you could make to the FMCSA include concerns regarding the following:
You can file a complaint with the FMCSA by clicking here to find the online complaint form or calling (888) DOT-SAFE. When you submit a complaint, it will become part of the permanent record for that truck company in the National Consumer Complaint Database.
A third option if you see a dangerous truck on the roadways is to report the incident to the West Virginia Department of Transportation. The IRP and IFTA are branches of the DMV that oversee credential issuance and revenue collection from the commercial trucking industry in this state.
If you or a loved one was a victim in a trucking accident, first seek medical attention. Then, meet with a personal injury lawyer from Manchin Ferretti Injury Law to explore your legal options. You may be eligible to recover compensation for your injuries.
